Discharge-chamber for water-wheels.



W. IVI. WHITE.

' '6' Patented Apr. 301918.y

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

llllllllllllllllll In W. IVI. WHITE.

DISCHARGE CHAMBER FOR WATER WHEELS.

Patented Apr.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1 0. |916.

WILLIAM IVI. WHITE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

DISCHARGE-CHAMBER FOR WATER-WHEELS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

Application led March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,259.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM M. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Discharge- Ghambers for Vater-VVheels, of which the fol-lowing is a specification.

One object of the invention is to provide means for effectively utilizing the energy contained in the water discharged from two coaxially mounted closely and oppositely disposed water wheels, and thereby increase the power plant efficiency of this type of water wheel unit.

A further object of my invention is to provide a center discharge chamber for c0- axially mounted, oppositely disposed water wheels having means within said chamber 'for effectively regaining pressure energy from kinetic energy contained in the water discharged from the water wheel runners.

Another object of my invention is to provide a center discharge chamber for coaxi ally mounted, oppositely disposed twin water wheels of small axial dimensions, permitting the two wheels to be brought close together' and thus provide a water wheel unit requiring small space within a power house, said chamber having means within it for regaining pressure from velocity of the water discharged from the water wheels.

Another object of my invention is to provide a center discharge chamber for twin water wheels, said discharge chamber being provided with radially extending passages communicating with the discharge from the runners of each of the water wheels, said radially extending passages formed by liaring out in all directions the walls forming the discharge chamber and disposing transversely to the discharge from each water wheel a deflectino surface spaced from the radially extending walls ofthe discharge chamber, a conoidal chamber being formed between said deflecting plate and the walls of said chamber.

The construction herein shown is a specifc. improvement upon the constructionshown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 80,850, filed February 28th, 1916. Reference is also made to my Patent No. 1,223,843, granted to ine April .9J-l, 1917, for apparatus for utilizing the hydraucone action of water.

The invention further consists in the sev leral features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through two coaxially mounted, oppositely disposed water wheels and the discharge chamber embodying the invention, showing a passageway between the deflecting surfaces;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sligh'ly modified form of device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4; is a vertical longitudinal. sectional view of a further modification of the invention, showing a single plate;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a modified form of the invention showing a truly conical member mounted adjacent the water wheel runners and connecting the flaring portion of the casing.

Before giving a detailed description of the invention I shall briefly describe the usual form of center discharge chamber for coaxially mounted, oppositely disposed twin water wheels, and describe briefly some of the results of my experiments relating to this invention.

The usual construction of center discharge chamber for coaxially mounted oppositely disposed twin water wheels consists of two elbows, each connecting with one of the twin runners, and the discharge ends of the elbows merging 'into one conduit or chamber7 usually circular at its outlet, thus providing a common outlet for the water passing through both wheels. rlfhe elbows are usu-` ally made of increasing cross sectional area in the direction of flow to regain. pressure V energy from kinetic energy contained in the water discharged at high velocity from the water wheel runners.

I have found by experiments that an elbow of increasing capacity in the direction of flow is an exceedingly poor device for the regain of pressure energy from kinetic energy contained in the water flowing at high velocity into the entrance of the elbow, and experiments have shown that when the water flows from the discharge end of such an elbow, constructed with increasing cross sectional area in 'the direction of flow, it flows therefrom at widely different velocities throughout the cross section. This is true of an elbow" of constant cross sectional area throughout its length, but the differico ence in velocity is augmented in the case of an elbow of increasing capacity in the direction of flow.

It is well known ythat a conduit of increasing capacity in the direction of flow, with a straight axis, will efliciently regain pressure energy from the kinetic energy of water flowing at high velocity into the entrance of such conduit, when the velocity throughout the stream flow at entrance is approximately uniform and especially when any variation in the stream flow is symmetrical about the axis of the conduit. As the variations of the velocities of the discharge water from a water wheel are substantially symmetrical about its axis, a regaining section with a straight axis in line with the axis of the runner may be advantageously employed. In order to permit of the use of straight axis regainers so that their functions will not be impaired and so that they may be used in connect-ion with a common discharge chamber occupying a small space as compared to the usual twin elbow construction, previously referred to, I make use of a deflecting surface or surfaces within the chamber.

I have found by experiments that a deliecting surface may be set opposite to the end of such regaining conduit and may be disposed near to the end of the conduit to form an annular outlet between the end of the regaining conduit and the deflecting surface to change the direction of flow of the water without disturbing the regaining effect of such conduit, and I have further found that by placing the deiecting sur- 'face in proper relation to the regaining conduit a slight increase of the regaining Aeffect of the ycombination is obtained.

yIn the present invention the str( ight axls regainers form a part ofthedischarge chamber itselfwith the result that a smoother flow of the water is provided than one in which the chamber incloses the regaining sections so that the water flows over and around the regaining sections. I am further providing in one embodiment of the present invention a passageway extending between the deflecting surfaces to efficiently direct the water into the outlet from the chamber.

While any suitable form of straight axis regainer may ybe used to form the entrance passages tothe chamber at the discharge ends ofthe water wheels, I prefer to employ hydraucone regainers, to which brief reference will now be made.

When a circular jet of water is caused to impinge upon a flat surface placed at right angles to axis ofthe jet, the water forms itself into a conoidal sh'ape at point of contact with the plate, andis discharged from the'ba-se' of such conoidal'sliape radially in all directions along the plane surface. That portion of the stream of enlarged section at point of contact with the plate, I have termed a hydraucone. For a fuller and more complete description of the action and utility of a hydraucone regainer attention is directed to Patent No. 1,223,843, above cited.

I have performed experiments which show that the water issuing from the base of a free hydraucone7 is at the saine velocity as the water entering the apex of the hydraucone.

I have determined by experiments that whcntlie hydraucone is inclosed in a chamber and said chamber is made of slightly increasingly greater capacity than that iequired to conform Ato the shape of a free hydraucone, I am enabled to reduce the velocity of the water discharged from thc base of the hydrauconc from the velocit-'v entering at the apex with considerable regain of pressure energy from the kinetic energy contained in the water at entrance to the apex of the conoidal chamber.

I am using and combining the results of these experiments in the construction of a center discharge chamber for two coaxially mounted water wheels and providing for the regain of pressure from velocity within conduits preferably disposed substantially symmetrically about the axis of the water wheels and changing the direction of flow of the water from the wheels without decreasing the efliciency of theregainer and at the same time providing a more efficient and compact construction than the usual double elbow discharge chamber.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, itwill be noted that I have shown in Fig. 1 twooppositcly disposed water wheels 11, 11 having runners 12, 12 coaxiallymountedfupon one shaft. 13. each water wheel fitted with guide case 1l. 1l. The water discharges from each of the runners 1Q, 1Q 'of the water wheels into a center discharge chamber 15 common to both, the

Y walls forming saiddischarge chamber are flared outwardly in all directions where it connects with each of the water wheels at 16, 1G and is therefore of increasing capacity from its ends toward the center. The dscharge chamber is provided with a side out let 17, connecting with a draft tube 1S, of the usual form, which is usually increasing` in cross-sectional area in the direction of flow.

In my preferred form lV dispose deflecting surfaces 19, 19 transversely to the discharge from the runners and spaced from the walls 20, 2O of the flared portion of the chanrber, providing substantially annular passages 21, 21 through which the water discharged from the runnel is accommodated. The walls of the center discharge chamber 15, are spaced away from the outer portion of the deflecting plates` to form these lll) annular passageways for the water, and the deflecting plates are spacedapart to form a central passageway 22 betweenthem, so that a portion of the water may flow over the edges of, around, behind and between said plates. The deflecting surfaces 19, 19 are braced and held in position by a central web 25 and webs 24C, 24. It will be noted that the passageway 22 between the plates is preferably of gradually increasing capacity in the direction of flow for the purpose of regaining pressuii'e from velocity and that some of the water passes through it into the outlet of the chamber.

lNhile the walls 20, 2O constituting the regaining inlets to the chamber may `be geometrically conical, I prefer to make them flared, that is, with their walls curving outwardly like a horn and to dispose deflecting surfaces within the chamber spaced apart from the walls in order to form a conoidal chamber of slightly increasingly greater capacity than that required to conform to the shape of a free hydraucone, which would tend to be formed by the discharge of the body of water from the runner, when such body is not constrained by surrounding walls. Thus these regaining inlets and defiecting surfaces form hydraucone regainers.

By reason of the radially extending passages communicating directly with each runner, the water flowing from the runner in a tangential direction is permitted to pass out radially and more easily conserve the energy contained in said radially liowing water.

There is shown in Fig. 3 radially extending passages 23', 23', of increasing cross sectional area in the direction of iow, communicating with the discharge from each of said conoidal chambers formed by increasing the diameter of the main portion of the chamber and extending the plates 19, 19, whereby a further decrease in velocity with increase of pressure is caused to take place. My preferred form is to construct such radially extending passage around the periphery of the discharge from the base of the conoidal chamber, but I may make such radially extending passages only a portion of the periphery of the conoidal chamber.

The advantages of the said `conoidal chamber will be obtained to a greater or less extent by connecting with the discharge of each of the runners conical conduits increasing in capacity in the direction of the flow, and preferably symmetrical about the axis of the runner,v said conduits forming passages communicating between the runner and the apex of the conoidal chamber. Referring particularly to Fig. 6, it will be seen that I may employ, if desired, a truly conical portion 295L connecting the water wheel 11 with the casing 27 the advantages of which are described above.

Another form of center discharge chamber consists in locating a collecting chamber 27 around the periphery of the common base 28 of two conoidal chambers 29, Figs. 4 and 5, and preferably forming said collecting chamber with side outlet 30 to communicate with a discharge pipe, or draft tube, of the usual form. The collecting chamber surrounding the base of the hyd raucones may be made symmetrical about the vertical centerline, and may be increasing in cross sectional area from the top of the outlet, as shown in Fig. 5.

Following now the action of the water, it is seen that the water discharged at high velocity from the runners is caused to impinge against the surfaces and is deflected radially in all directions and that the enlarged chambers or regalners at point of del flection are so shaped as to regain pressure from the velocity and so conserve energy which would otherwise be wasted, and thereby increase the efficiency of the water wheel unit. `The water discharged from the base of the conoidal chambers passes through the annular outlets and is turned without materially affecting the efficiency of the water wheel unit. i i Y I have mentioned an annular outlet at the discharge ends of the conduits and conoidal chambers connecting `with the water wheel runners, but Ido not limit myself to a continuous annular opening; by annular opening, under this specification, I mean any opening or series of openings of essentially greater dimension circumferentially than axially, and especially such an opening-yor Vopenings as will `permit the water to b edischarged radially tothe axis of the water wheels and permit of reasonably close proximity. of the ends of the conduits andsaid conoidal chambers, and at the same ltime accommodate the water discharged from the water wheels.

In the above specification, Ihave referred to twin water wheels but the wheels need not necessarily Vbe of the same capacity.

On theoutlet side of the discharge chamber the passageways between the walls and the deflecting plate or plates communicate directly with the conduit leading from the discharge chamber. y y

I have referred in the specification to an outlet from the discharge chamber, but I may make a multiple of outlets depending upon the convenience of construction `of the center discharge chamber with reference to the power `house wherein it may be located.

The invention thus embodies a discharge chamber for a pair of coaxially mounted, oppositely disposed water wheels provided the chamber and with means for changing the direction of flow of the discharge water from the wheel from axifl to radial within a short axial distance, whereby an efficient` ico `with regainers forming part of the walls of f compact: regaining discharge chamber is pro'- vided and one Vwhich provides for smoothness of'ovvof the discharge Water.'

It -Willbe'understood that the constructions lherein shown-are capable of modificationand such modifications as are Within-the scope of: my claims I consider Within the spirit of my invention;

I do vnotghowcver, claim broadly the combination of a Waterwheel anda discharge n passage havingY a1 deflector in said passage and claimed.

Which causes the divergent` flow ofV the Water ma space 4progressively increasing in capacityy as thatis claimed inmy copending application'No 7 69,7 91, entitled, hydraulic regainers, nor do I` claim the method of 'operating Water Wheels which consists in passing an amount of Water through a wheel inv` excess ofl the amount required for the maximum eliciency of the Wheel, nor byv lpassing an' amount of Waterv through the scribed above but show several elements in -c'ommonfforthe purposelof clearness and explanation. -I therefore do not intend to dedicate to the public, matter herein shown but notlclaimed Which 'matter' is in common with the'above referred to copending applications and-Which is therein fully described I' claim: i

l. The combination, with apa-ir of oppositely disposed, coaxially mounted Water wheels', ofa common discharge chamber for said Wheels, a hydraucone regainer'disposed at the discharge end of each of said Wheels, the Walls'of said chamber forming the side Walls ofsaidregainers;

`2. The combination, witha pair ofoppositely disposed coaxia-lly mounted Water Wheels, of a common discharge chamber for said Wheels, flared tubev regainers forming part of the Walls ofy said chamber disposed 'at the discharge end of said Wheels, and

means Within said chamber for abruptly changing the directionof How of the Water l fr from f axial I"to -radial iThe-combin'ation", with a pair o-f opp'o- Y sitely disposed coaxially mounted Water Wheels, of a-common discharge chamber for said-fwvheels, iiared tube regainers forming part ofthe Walls of said chamber and symm'etricallyl disposed aboutth'e4 axis and atthe discharge endH ofi said Wheels, and means Within said chamber providing dc'lecting surfaces cooperating-With said regainersand for'abruptly changing the direction of lion' of-the Water from axial to radial.

4; The combination, with a pair of oppositely disposed coaxially mounted Water Wheels, of a common discharge chamber for said Wheels, a pair of hydraucone regainers disposed at the discharge ends of said wheels and spaced apart' to form-a. medial passage therebetween, the Walls of said chamber forming the side walls of said regainers, and the deilecting surfaces which with a portion of the chamber form said medial passage.

5. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed coaxially mounted Water Wheels, of delecting plates projecting across the discharge passage from each of the water Wheels, flared Walls forming passages connecting with each of the water Wheels, said fiared Walls spaced from said deecting plates to form substantially annular outlets betWeen'saidy Wheels and said plates, a collecting chamber including said I'lared Walls and surrounding said annular openings andformingal passageway for the water discharged through said annular openings.

6. The combination, with a pair of oppositely disposed coaxially mounted water Wheels, 0fa discharge chamber for said Wheels, the walls of said discharge chamber fla-ring `outwardly from the axis of said Wheels at points of connection with said Wheels, defiectingy plates Within said chamber and proj ecting across the discharge from each of the Water Wheel runners and disposed to form annular outlets with the Walls of said `chamber for the Water discharged from the runners.

7. The combination, with a pair of coaxially mounted, oppositely disposed water Wheels, of a center discharge chamber constructed to receive the Water discharged fromsaid Wheels, dciecting plates Within said chamber projected across and spaced from the discharge passa-ge of each of the Water' Wheelrunners, said plates disposed to formA passages between the edges of said plates and the Walls of said' chamber, and betiveenthe plates themselves, whereby the Water discharged axially from the water Wheel runners may impinge against the plates andbe defiected radially in all directions and How along, over and around said plates.

8.A The combination, with a pair ofloppositely disposed coaxially mounted Water Wheels, of a common discharge chamber for said Wheels having an outlet and fiared walls forminginlets for the discharge water from the Wheels, a. deliecting surface disposed transversely of and adjacent to each of said inlets, said deflecting surfaces being spaced from the Walls of the chamber to form an- CIL CIK

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lll() l ll) nular passages and being spaced from each other to form a passageway therebetween extending to the outlet of said chamber, and a conduit of gradually increasing capacity in the direction of flow communicating with the outlet to said chamber.

9. The combination, with a pair or' oppositely disposed coaxially mounted water Wheels, of a hydraucone regainer disposed at the discharge end of each of saidwheels, and a casing connecting the conoidal Walls of said i'egainers to form a common discharge chamber for said wheels.

10. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed, coaxially mounted water wheels, of a discharge chamber for said wheels, the walls of said discharge chamber {iaring outwardly from the axis of said wheels at the point of connection with said plates being projected radially to form pas` sages radial in extent, said passage being .of increasing cross sectional area in the direction of flow and located around and com- `municating with the discharge from said annular outlets. p

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 7th day ,of March, 1916.

WILLIAM M. WHITE. Witnesses z C. T. MURRAY, T. D. BUTLER.

Copies est this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

Correction in Letters Patent No. .1,264,729

MMWMWWMWWWMWWWWWW lt is hereby certified that in' Letters Patent No. 1,264,729, granted April 30, 1918, upon the application of William M. White, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for en improvement in Discharge-Chambers for Water-Wheels, :in error appears in the printed speeication requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 78, claim 4, strike out the article the and insert the Words said cha/mbar having; and that the Seidl Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the lSenne may cori-V form to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of June, A. D., 1918.

{SEAL} l?. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. Cl. 253-*104h l 

